A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for
more than thirty years, Steve Wozniak has helped shape the computing industry
with his design of Apple’s first line of products the Apple I and II and
influenced the popular Macintosh. In 1976, Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded
Apple Computer Inc. with Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer. The following
year, he introduced his Apple II personal computer, featuring a central
processing unit, a keyboard, color graphics, and a floppy disk drive.
The Apple II was integral in launching the personal computer industry.

In 1981, he went back to UC Berkeley and finished his degree in electrical
engineering/computer science. For his achievements at Apple Computer,
Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology by the President
of the United States in 1985, the highest honor bestowed on America’s
leading innovators.

In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded
the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment
for single-handedly designing the first personal computer and for then
redirecting his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward
lighting the fires of excitement for education in grade school students
and their teachers.

Through the years, Wozniak has been involved in various business and philanthropic
ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing
hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students. Making significant
investments of both his time and resources in education, he adopted the
Los Gatos School District, providing students and teachers with hands-on
teaching and donations of stateof-the-art technology equipment. He founded
the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and was the founding sponsor of the
Tech Museum, Silicon Valley Ballet and Children’s Discovery Museum of
San Jose.

Wozniak currently serves as Chief Scientist for Fusion-IO and is a published
author with the release of his New York Times best-selling autobiography,
iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon, in September 2006 by Norton Publishing.
His television appearances include reality shows Kathy Griffin: My Life
on the D-List, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and The Big Bang Theory.